I searched high and low and didn't see a thread, so here goes. I am going to miss the Father's Day commercials that were running. I don't remember the store, but it was the dads singing Christmas carols, but for Father's Day stuff. So funny! But Mother's Day commercials? Always suck. That little kid with the jar or coins (or something) to buy the overly expensive bauble o'crap makes me roll my eyes every time.

I'm still angry about the K-Mart commercial for Valentine's Day where the husband shoots an (assumingly plastic) arrow at his wife's bum, and she turns around and GLARES at him like he just spitroasted her dog.

The message was don't be playful, just whip out the credit card and buy her diamonds, asshole.

Somewhere in the late 80's/early '90s there was a commerical for Folgers(I think). It's Christmas, and this cute little blonde girl walks down the steps to see her big brother has returned home from college. They make coffee together, and their parents wake up and hugs all around.

I love that commerical.

I'm pretty sure that's "Peter." And, yes, it's very cute.

Christmas-wise, I always liked Santa sleighing on the "Noel"-co razor. That was a great ad from when I was a kid.

A local station when I was growing up had this dancing snowman and my boyfriend (years later) could immitate him wonderfully. And my niece's face lit up just like the little girl's in the commercial.

I also love the Cadbury bunny who "lays" a chocolate Cadbury egg at eastertime. Complete with the chicken clucks.

I say at the most random times "thank you Easter Bunny" and my friend says "bawk bawk!"

Are those commercials still on? I haven't seen one in years.

Oh, I miss Cadbury Egg commericals!

Remember those Cingular commericals with those really hot blond triplets coming home for what I think is either their birthday or Christmas? I think they're from about three years ago. Cute stuff, though the other one where they actually talk kinda gets iffy.

And we can't go through this thread without mentioning Hallmark. They're the ones that made it so that everyday is a holiday.

I love how in every Hallmark commercial, people must cry. And how there's usually no Christmas cards mentioned, because that would be show a religious affilation.

I love the Cadbury eggs ones with all of the different animals wearing bunny ears and trying to make the cluck noise. I always specifically remember the big lion with the ears on and making this really loud "BAWK" roaring noise. Cracks me up every time.

My vote has to go for the Guinness "St. Patrick's Day" ads. They were variations on a Christmas theme: A grocery store had green Guinness 6-packs arranged like a Christmas tree, and the voiceover talked about how easy it was to buy "holiday" gifts. Or where the showed men waking up, in houses decorated with green, waking up like kids on Christmas morning to go downstairs and get their beer. Yeah, I know, alcoholism isn't funny (unless it's W.C. Fields) but those cracked me up!


I *still* look for that every year! I sure do miss it.

I love the Coca-Cola ads featuring the polar bears. I think the Radio Shack ad featuring Santa on vaction is so cute. I hate the Champange isn't Korbel ad. What kind of people leave a party because they don't like what is being served. I don't drink and it bothers me that Korbel is claiming that you have to drink alcohol in order to enjoy the holiday.

I also really like the Hershey Kisses Christmas ads featuring the little foil wrapped kisses in a triangle, acting like they are bells in a handbell group. I think the song is that "Oh, Christmas Tree" one and at the very end, one little Kiss has to hold his ringing for a long time and then when he's done, he wipes his little brow with the piece of paper that sticks out of each Kiss and says "whew".

I did a horrible job of describing that, but it's very cute.

Anybody else remember the "ghosts of the first turkey lovers" that Butterball used to show at Thanksgiving?

How long ago was it, indigo4? It doesn't ring a bell with me.

I love the "White Christmas" Coca-Cola commercial with the punk rock version! I had to download it and play it all year round. Wait, did I say "download"? I mean "bought at the store"! Right...

No, you explained it quite well. I like this commercial too, for it's simplicity and for not overly-milking Christmas and using all the same jokes as other Christmas commercials.

It was "We Wish You A Merry Christmas".

Okay, it's September so Peter should be coming home from college (for the 25th year) any time now.....

I didn't see it, but did Staples do its "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year" ad for back-to-school this year. (I know back-to-school isn't technically a holiday, but I thought the song would fit)

I was just going to post about this! At first, I thought this song was so inappropriate for the middle of July, but now that I'm a parent with a school-aged child, I can TOTALLY relate!

For some reason I always thought that Peter was coming back from the Army, not college.

And it doesn't matter how many years running I see that ad, I get choked up every time.

Wasn't Peter's hair too long to be a soldier? I always wondered why the hell Peter's parents were too freaking sorry/cheap/lazy to get him home from college or whatever location he had been.

I always assumed that Peter was home early, and that's why Mom and Sis were so happy to see him. Although, wasn't it Christmas Eve? So maybe Peter wasn't supposed to come home at all, and that's why he was surprising them.

And because of that commercial, I thought that rabbits clucked until I was like 15. I swear, I was shocked the first time I ever saw a rabbit up close and realized that they really don't make much noise at all and they certainly don't cluck.

And the Folgers "Peter" commericals (hee! I'm 12!) are a big inside joke in my family. It never fails on Christmas morning, I hand my dad a cup of coffee and he gasps and says "Oh, Peter! You're home!" Dad has been saying this for at least 20 years. My mom still rolls her eyes and I still giggle. Aww...

This could also go in the "TV moments that angry up the blood" thread: F**k you, Loew's, for having a Christmas commercial on October 23.

I figure it this way. Little sis was obviously a late-in-life, Oops! baby, so Mom & Dad were struggling financially and had to put off retirement to be able to pay for her piano lessons, cheerleading camp in high school, and college in a few more years.

Peter was supposed to keep his ass on campus that year to save money, but he bummed a ride after posting a sad little note on the campus commons bulletin board. So he decided to "surprise" everyone, hoping to give Mom & Dad matching heart attacks and collect the insurance money. But that damned coffee aroma warned them that something was up, and they were spared. Too bad The King wasn't around back then.

I loved the Target holiday ads with the Earth, Wind, & Fire music. The one with the little girls who are triplets was cute.

I can't wait to see what Target does this year.

OK, sorry, but brown chocolate is the last thing I want to eat after having watched it drop out of a bunny's back end.


Did you ever think it might be Peter? Maybe they just don't want him home. Maybe he has really bad B.O., or spits when he talks, or has violent tendancies.

I think SunniLee is onto something here, and it has to do with that large insurance policy he took out on them instead of paying for his books like he was supposed to.

Oooh, good point, cowkitty! I didn't even think of that when I posted the original way back when! Gah! Now I'm scarred.

I do. They were a couple of Pilgrims haunting people who bought, or should buy, Butterballs. Man, that must be from the 1970's

Actually, it would come out of the bunny's ... er... lady bits. Not that that's a hell of a lot better....

I just assumed that Peter just came home earlier than expected. But I have to say that I really like the theories that have been posted here!

I thought the Christmas ad floodgates would open Nov 1, as soon as the Halloween stuff was cleared off the shelves, but it looks like they started this weekend - when the TV shows haven't even finished showing Halloween episodes.

Well, we're not too far away from my least favorite holiday commercial---The Lexus December to Remember sales event.

That ad is shown incessantly from right about now til January, with all these smug rich people getting their Lexi for Christmas, with that tune that doesn't leave my head. I worry every year that someone will mistake my neighbors' Lexus for mine and I will get a brick thru my window on Christmas.

My hubby threatens to get me a Lexus for Christmas just to see how I'll react--will I punch him for doing it or just sheepishly smile and take the car? Luckily (or maybe not), this is not realistic for us so I don't have to worry about him following thru on that for at least a few years.

Amen. I hated the one from two or three years ago where the parents told their college-age daughter they had gotten her a new radio, then they step outside and the radio is part of the new Lexus! Squee!!! Please. Then again, perhaps my poor student loan-paying friends and I are just jellus. LOL

I mentioned this in the old commercial thread, but I hate those Lexus ads too.

The part that really gets me is the person who looks out her window and sees a bow on a garden gate and then realizes that she wants to put the bigass bow on top of a Lexus that she will get for her husband.

I want to know WHY the bow is on TOP of a goddamn GARDEN GATE.

That's all I ask, Lexus. Help a gal out here.

It always gave me such a warm fuzzy that so many people are able to dole out Lexus cars/SUVs as presents at Christmas time. Nothing says Christmas like a $30-70K car (depending on the model that is). What jobs do they have??? Some kids barely get mittens and coats, and here they are exchanging 30-70K worth of vehicles as if it's normal.

I wish I could buy Peter a new Lexus so he wouldn't have to bum a ride home on Christmas morning.

This thread is fantastic!

Do any Pittsburgh/Western PA people out there remember the Eat 'n' Park Christmas commercials with the tree and the little star that keeps trying to hop on top of the tree? And finally, the tree bends down and picks up the little star and then the whole tree lights up? Gah, I get misty just thinking about that one! I live in the south now, so I don't get to see that until I visit the folks for Christmas and I really miss it.

SunniLee, I nearly died laughing reading this!



Thanks for nearly making water come out of my nose at work today!

The Eat-N-Park tree commercial is one of my top ten best holiday memories ever. That little star just tries so hard and when he brushes himself off and takes a run at the tree, yeah, I'm a little misty here also.

Saw the first X-mas ad here last night. For Crest White Strips. Apparently you can't have a good holiday with yellow teeth.

I haven't seen that yet. Please tell me they don't use White Christmas.

I have that commercial on a vhs tape. It's with some horrible z-grade made for tv film that my sister taped for me about 15 years ago. Hated the movie, but loved the star. That commercial is the only reason why the tape hasn't been burned yet.
Here's a link to the commercial on youtube:
Cute Li'l Star!

Awwwwwwwww. That is sweet.

I'll second that. Because, God, if that's the case, Bing Crosby (who is the only person who should ever be allowed to sing that particular song) is spinning in his grave.

Every year I make a list of places and things that I am boycotting because they start Christmas ads on or around Halloween. Looks like Crest White Strips is first on that list this year.

Pizza Hut will never top the commercial they had in the mid 80s--GeezerGuy at table, unseen female puts plate in front of him.

"On the first day after Christmas/Thanksgiving (can't remember), my true love served to me"

I think the first day is Turkey Surprise and so on. The kicker is the "five golden rings" line is:

"Flaming Turkey Wings!"

which are lit by sparklers. The guy's expression is hilarious.

I too love Peter home from college, and I miss the Publix train home for Christmas. We're due for the Norelco Santa, right, that's back.

That is really cute! My other favorite is the Santa sledding on the Norelco shaver.

I hate those Lexus commercials. Yeah, that's a normal gift...pass by the socks and head to the Lexus dealer. Of course, they couldn't put the Lexus in the garage. They had to make sure all the neighbors saw it with the big ass bow.



This was hilarious! I never liked that commercial. Why get all teary-eyed because he's coming home from college? He was probably just home for Thanksgiving with his dirty laundry. It's not like he was away in the military and he's surprising his folks.

Because some lucky person got a whole house for Christmas. "I mean, come on, The Joneses got their daughter a Lexus last year; we have to do better than that."

Peter's homecoming is like having the comfort food of our youth. These days, when people want to put truffles and Chanterelles in the mac-and-cheese, it's nice to still have something old and familiar with no surprises.

[Yes, I split that infinitive on purpose.]

Cammyd and Matilda - Glad you now understand the truth about Peter's true motives! :) I have no doubt we'll see him come home again this year. That kid's as reliable as Yule Log. I hope they're getting some hefty residuals.

Neither have I, but I remember them well. Not to be nitpicky, but that one kid at the end actually says "Thank you Eas' Bunny!" (couldn't quite pronounce the entire "Easter", I guess).

I've yet to see it this year, but I always enjoy the Publix Thanksgiving commercials where the pilgrim salt and pepper shakers come to life on the table. I was just there and saw they had them for sale, along with pilgrim mugs and serving bowls, so I assume they'll be showing them again.